Over half of consumers feel theyre more of a fraud target than a year ago

18/07/2023 01:00 (UTC)

COSTA MESA, Calif., July 18, 2023 Experian today released its 2023 U.S. Identity and Fraud Report revealing over half of consumers feel theyre more of a target for fraud than a year ago. The report found that consumers and businesses alike are keeping fraud and security top of mind amid uncertain economic conditions with nearly two-thirds of people surveyed reporting theyre very or somewhat concerned with online security. Consumers top concerns include identity theft (64%), stolen credit card information (61%) and online privacy (60%).

In addition, just over half of businesses report a high level of concern about fraud risk with leading areas including transaction fraud, cybercrime and identity theft. Nearly 70% of businesses report that fraud losses have increased in recent years and authorized push payment fraud is the leading fraud event type experienced by 40% of businesses.

Consumers have higher expectations for security

Consumer expectations continue to rise with 85% of people expecting businesses to respond to fraud concerns. Most businesses say theyll increase their fraud budgets by 8% to 19%, but theyll also need to align with consumer expectations. For example, 85% of people said physical biometrics are the most trusted authentication method, yet only a third of businesses use it. The report found though that some businesses are listening to consumers with 32% of them saying theyll be investing in physical biometrics solutions.

Businesses also need to ensure theyre delivering seamless online customer experiences. In fact, 51% of consumers considered abandoning a new account opening because of a negative experience, and 37% said a bad experience caused them to take their business elsewhere.

Machine learning is now integral to fraud prevention

To help address fraud in 2023, nearly 60% of businesses are already emphasizing or are looking to build machine learning capabilities into their fraud identification and prevention strategies. Machine learning can help businesses analyze large numbers of transactions and data sets so that fraud risks can be identified.

For those businesses currently using machine learning models, 90% reported a high level of confidence in their effectiveness at fraud detection and prevention, and 87% reported high levels of confidence at customer authentication. This shows that incorporating this innovative technology into fraud prevention strategies will be table stakes for businesses to keep up with growing fraud risks and consumer expectations.

As fraudsters become more sophisticated and opportunistic, businesses need to proactively integrate the latest technology, data and advanced analytics to mitigate the growing fraud risk, said Kathleen Peters, Chief Innovation Officer for Experians Decision Analytics business in North America. With the right identity and fraud prevention solutions in place, businesses can take a multilayered approach to verify identities, properly treat fraud and provide a frictionless customer experience that builds trust.

Last year, Experian estimates that its fraud prevention solutions helped clients save at least $12 billion in fraud losses globally. To read Experians 2023 Identity and Fraud Report, please visit https://www.experian.com/blogs/insights/2023/07/experian-2023-identity-and-fraud-report/. To learn more about Experians fraud prevention solutions, please visit https://www.experian.com/business/solutions/fraud-management.

Methodology:

Experians 2023 Identity and Fraud Report is based on two major surveys conducted in the U.S. in March 2023. The first asked more than 2,000 U.S. consumers about their online interactions and expectations regarding security and customer experience. The second survey asked more than 200 businesses in North America, ranging in size from $10 million to $49 million to above $1 billion in revenue about their strategies for effective fraud management, customer identification and authentication, including investments related to security and customer experience.

About Experian

Experian is the worlds leading global information services company. During lifes big moments from buying a home or a car, to sending a child to college, to growing a business by connecting with new customers we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organisations to prevent identity fraud and crime.

We have 21,700 people operating across 30 countries and every day were investing in new technologies, talented people, and innovation to help all our clients maximise every opportunity. With corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, we are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

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